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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. T. BASOOM. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

' No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893.

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(No Model.)

No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893..

7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A. BASGOM. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893.

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Patented May 16, 1893.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets8heet 5.

A. T. BASGOM. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893.

7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No Model.)

A. T. BASGOM.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893.

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A. T. BASGOM. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 497,745. Patented May 16, 1893.

cZLEQQQ QW AZzfEs co. Puma-urn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUSTIN T. BASOOM, OF SIDNEY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. K.CUMMINS, OF SAME PLACE.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,745, dated May 16,1893.

Application filed December 22, 1891. Serial No. 415,871. (No model.)

To w whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN T. BASCOM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sidney, in the county of Shelby and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Folding Machines,of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a paper folding,pasting and cutting machine by means of which the papers can be foldedthree or four times, as occasion requires, either with the use of thepasting ap paratus, or without it.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism by which threefolds can be made, and the fourth dispensed with.

Another object of my invention is to facilitate the feeding so that onlyone sheet will be fed into the apparatus at a time.

Other objects of my invention relate to the details of construction ofthe apparatus whereby its operations are rendered simple and positive.

The various features of my invention are fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawings making a part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machineshowing only the two upper sets of folding rolls. Fig.2 is a sectionalelevation on line at, ac, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 isa rear elevation. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of my improvement. Fig. 6is a sectional elevation of a pair of folding rolls in the act offolding a paper. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the feeding roll. Fig. 8is an end elevation of a pair of folding rolls. Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of the lower set of the folding rolls and tapping mechanism.Fig. 10 is an end view of the same. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a cam onone of the driving wheels. Fig. 12 is a plan view of the paster. Fig. 13is a side elevation of receiving rack, and mechanism for depositing thepapers therein. Fig. 14 is a plan of the disk for operating the same.Fig. 15 is a section of the tape belt sheave. Fig. 16 is a frontelevation of the pasting device. Fig. 17 is a section on line y, y, Fig.16. Fig. 18 is a central horizontal section of the second pair offolding rolls. Figs. 19 and 20 are details showing the manner of makingthree instead of four folds. Figs. 21, 22, 23 and 2t, are diagramsrepresenting the successive stages in the operation of folding thepaper. Fig. 25 is a perspective viewof the feeding tapes, stop andsupporting fingers for delivering the paper to the first set of folders.Fig. 26 is a detail view of the upper supporting rod, and Fig. 27 is adetail view of the lower supporting rod. Figs. 28, 29, 30, are diagramsrepresenting the initial feeding mechanism in different positions.

The folding machine shown inthe accompanying drawings is composed of thefollowing mechanism: First, a set of feeding pulleys andtape beltcarrying mechanism, second, initial folding rollers D D withaccompanying mechanism and tape belt carrier, succeeded by a second setof folding rolls L L and accompanying tape belt carriers, and

tapping mechanism; a third set of folding rolls M M with the concomitanttape belt carriers and mechanism; a fourth set of folding rolls R R andtape carriers, starting mechanism and an auxiliary mechanism which maybe brought into operation for stopping the fourth fold if desired;sixth, pasting mechanism preferably used in connection with the firstset of folding rolls; and lastly, the receiving rack and mechanism fordelivering the papers thereto in proper position.

My invention relates partly to the method of combining and operatingsaid mechanisms which are arranged to work consecutively in thefollowing order: first, the feeding rolls or pulleys with improvedfeeding mechanism to take the papers and deliver them to the initialfolders: these folding rolls deliver the papers to the second foldingrollers and they in turn to the third, and so on. These parts are drivenin appropriate time movements in the following manner: 1 represents themain driving shaft, 4 the driving pulley; 32 a transmitter on theopposite end of said shaft 1, which is shown as a chain wheel, Fig. 5,transmitting motion to shaft 34, and a second set of folding rolls.Shaft 34: is provided with a beveled gear 35 meshing with bevel 36 onthe shaft 37, upon the rear end of which is mounted a chain gear wheel22; this transmits motion to the folding rollers D and M, see Fig. 4.Those several shafts and gears carry the appropriate cam mechanism forperforming the various operations in time movements as will behereinafter explained.

The machine is preferably constructed in the following manner:

A represents the rear posts of the machine; B the front posts; thetable; a, a, the side rails bolted to the front and rear posts.

a a represent the front and rear rails fastened to the front and rearposts respectively.

The main shaft is journaled to the head blocks 2, which are preferablymade integral with posts 13,, V V 7 f represents the driving pulley.

6 represents a series of pulleys fixed on the shaft 1. r

7 represents a series of auxiliary feeding pulleys mounted upon theshaft 8 which shaft is loosely supported in the gains or elongatedrecesses 9 in the head blocks 2, as shown in Figs. 2, and 7, so that theperipheries of the pulleys 7, rest upon the peripheries of the pulleys6, which support the said pulleys 7 in a vertical direction.

10 represents friction rollers journaled to the head blocks 2 at oneside of the gains or elongated recesses 9, and bear against the pulleys6 whereby the said pulleys are supported in a lateral direction. Iprovide this means so that the auxiliary feeding pulleys may bepermitted to move slightly in a vertical and lateral direction upon theentrance operative relation to the pulleys 6 by the tension of thecarrying belts.

11 represents a series of tapebelts sup ported at their rear end byidler pulleys 12 and at their front end by the sleeve shaft 13; saidtape belts are passed over the feed roll 7 and between the rolls 6 and 7in the manner shown in Fig. 7. This method of mounting the feedingpulley 7 upon the periphery of pulley 6 clutches the tape belt 11between said pulleys, so as to hold the paperP between the tape belt 11and the feeding pulleys 6, and carry it around said pulley and around ontop of the tape belts. The tape supports the papers and carries themforward until they rest against the rear stop 15, centrally over thefirst set of feeding rolls D D, and between the fingers F F. The fingersF hold the paperdown on the belts and prevent it from soaring and thelower fingers F prevent the rebound of the paper, and prevent the endsof the paper from dropping down between the tape belts.

The paper is doubled and folded by the rolls D D, in the followingmanner: I) repre sents a tapper or starting finger which pushes thepaper down between the rolls at the appropriate time; this tapper orstarting finger is operated as follows: 16 represents arms rigidlyconnected to rock shaft 17, see Fig. 1; these arms overhang the rolls DD and sup port the tapper finger b in the central position, as shown inFigs. 4 and 6. 18 represents a pendent arm secured near the front end ofing rolls.

arm 16. 19 represents a brace arm connecting arm 16 and arm 18. 20represents a frictional roller on the free end of arm 18 which rests andtravels upon the cam 21, preferably formed on the face of gear wheel 22.At the appropriate time the friction roller 20 drops into the depressionof cam 21 and brings the tapper finger down upon the central line of thepaper and thrusts it between the folding rolls D D'. In order to arrestthis tapper finger at the proper time and prevent it being drawn intothe rolls I provide yoke arms 24 carrying friction rollers 25, whichstrike the fold ing roll D and arrest the downward movement of thefinger; the tapper makes a quick motion and is lifted up by the cam 21as soon as the folded paper is thrust between the feed- The papers restupon the table 0 and are fed at appropriate intervals to the feedingrolls 6 and 7. Stop mechanism is providedto prevent the papers being fedexcept at intervals which will be hereinafter explained. The papers arecarried by the tape belt 11 around the rolls 6 and between the fingers FF above the folding rolls D D',"

where they are arrested by the stop 15 They are pressed down by thetapper finger b between the rolls D D, and a second paper is startedjust as this initial folding commences, so that one paper is fed forwardby the feeding rolls or pulleys 6 and 7, while the initial rolls D D'are operating upon the first paper. of the paper to be folded,beingretained in 1 In order that the papers may be fed one at :a timeand in the appropriate time movements I provide the' following mechanismwhich is fshown by diagram in Figs. 28, 29' and 23 represents stops orguards which are placed gat one side of the feed rolls or pulleys 6 thejend of the finger projecting above the same,

as shown in Fig. 28; this forward projection .prevents the paper frombeing accidentally fed forward between the rolls.

These guards are mounted upon the rock shaft 26; said rock shaft isprovided with the series of crank arms 27, upon which is mounted a rod29; j upon this rod 29 is mounted a series of friction rollers 31. Therock shaft 26 is operated by means of the pendent arm 30 resting uponthe cams E E. When the parts are in position shown in Fig. 28, the guardholds the papers from being'fed; at the appropriate time the fingers 23have come into the position shown in Fig. 29, which allows the paper tobe fed forward. These guards are depressed a sufficient timeto allow thepaper to pass through the feeders 6 and 7; the paper is caught betweenthe friction roll 31 and the feeders 6; as soon as the paper has beencaught between the tapes and rolls 6, roll 31 coinmenees to rise andcomes into the position shown in Fig. 30, and from thence, it passes toposition shown in Fig. 28, so that the papers are easily andappropriately delivered to the feeders 6 and 7. This assists theoperator in proper time movements and prevents accidental feeding.

I have shown four sets of folding roll mechanism, each of which ismounted in substantially the same manner; the first set of folding rollsD D is at right angles to the feeding pulleys 6 and 7; the first fold ofthe paper is performed by these folding rolls D D, and the paper isdelivered horizontally on to the second set of tape belts K which aredriven by the feeding roll D supported at the opposite end by idlerrollers d, which are of the same construction as the idler rollers 12supporting the upper tape belt 11. In order to tighten these tape beltseach spool or roller (1 or 12 is mounted in brackets G. The stems ofsaid brackets G are pierced to receive the rod or stud H and is held inposition by the set screw I so that the slack in the tape belts can bereadily taken up or the belts loosened as occasion requires.

Positive motion is transmitted to the feeding roll D, only, the feedingroll D, which carries the tape belts K, being loosely supported in anelongated recess in one of the side rails, as best shown in Fig. 8,andits periphery resting against the periphery of the roll D.

81, representsfriction rolls journaled at one side of the bearing of theroll D, and supporting the said roll D in one direction. By this meansthe roll D is permitted to yield in the same manner and for the samepurpose as the auxiliary feed pulleys 7. As the paper is folded it dropsupon the tape belt by which it is carried to a position above the secondset of feed rolls L L, and resting against stops corresponding to stop15 above rolls D D. Above these secondary feed rolls L L is supported asecondary tapping finger N, which is mounted on the overhanging rock arm45. This arm is operated in appropriate time movements by means of thecam 4E6 on the shaft 34:, which cam is similar in construction to thecam 21 operating the tapper finger on the first set of feed rolls. Thefeed roll L supports and draws the tape belt 1 and delivers the paper tothe third set of folding rolls M M. The axis of these rolls are parallelto the first set D D, see Fig. 2, and they are provided with a tapemechanism operated in the same manner as the tape belts 1 and K.

48 representsa tapper linger supported vertically over the contact pointof rolls M, M; it is operated by the arm 49 which is provided with thefriction roller 50 working on the face of cam 51. This mechanismoperates the tapper 48 in appropriate time movements. Below is thefourth set of folding rolls R R, the roll R beingloosely journaled andsupported, as shown for the folding roll D and it carries a fifth set oftape belts U, by means of which belts the folded papers are delivered tothe receiving rack.

It is sometimes desirable to fold papers only three times and simply usethe fourth set of folding rolls as an idler; when this operation isperformed I provide a secondary arm 52, see Fig. 9, which is parallel tothe arm 79 supportits end will be over bite of the said rolls at thetime the tapper 47 descends, and this is effected by reason of the factthat when the roller 53 is let down in contact with the paper, suchpaper will travel at a greater speed than when said roller 53 iselevated out of operation, and if the travel of the paper is so rapidthat otherwise it would have passed e11- tirely off the roll R, it isstopped by the stops 90; and the tape belts slip under the paper,

and as tapper 47 descends it forces the paper end first into the bite ofthe rolls R, R, and it is then carried out unfolded by said rolls by thetape belts. When it is desired to throw this side moving roll 53 out ofthe way the arm 52 is supported upon catch 54 out of the way, and thefourth fold will be made by the folding rolls R R, and tapper 47.

The receiving rack is constructed and operated as follows: 55 representsan arm on which the rack board 56 is mounted; it is supported upon afriction roller or shaft 57 which carries a ratchet wheel 58. 59represents a cam lug on the face of the bevel gear 35. 60 represents afork arm supported on the idler shaft 3i. One of said forks is providedwith the lug 62, the other fork with the lug 63. In Figs. 13, 14, thisrack moving mechanism is shown with the fork in position but the bevelgear 35 is turned round so that the cam 59 is shown upon the face of thedisk. Cam 59 strikes against the lug 63 and forces the rack forward onenotch by the engagement of the hook pawl 64, with the ratchet wheel 58,and brings the rack and parts into the position shown in Fig. 13. Gain59 in the opposite plane of its revolution strikes against the lug 62and draws the arm 63 back, drops the ratchet arm (34c one notch andmoves the fly or finger 65 back into the position shown in dotted lines,Fig. 13.

66 represents fenders which catch the bundle of papers 67 and hold themfrom going backward with the follower fly 65, when the tape beltmechanism of the fourth set of rolls feeds another paper down upon thefiy 65, as

the arm 60 is fed forward by the striking of they are readily removableby the operator from time totime.

When it is desired to paste and cut the papers I provide the followingmechanism: 78, Fig. 1, represents a rocker arm supported on the sleeve68. 69 represents a yoke arm attached tosaid sleeve and projectingaround and forward under the frame. The free-end of the lower fork ofsaid yoke arm is armed with a friction roller and rides upon the face ofcam w, Fig. 12; when the yoke-arm is in contact with the serratedportion 0) it gives the arm a slight jolting or oscillation to assist indelivering the paste, which is contained in the hopper 7 O mounted onthe forward end of arm 78. 71 represents friction rollers journaled inthe forked end of said arm and they are brought in contact with the faceof the friction roll D. I have shown the paper P supported on said rollin the act of being pasted; this is accomplished by means of the pastewheel 73, which is formed of two disks between which is clamped a-feltdisk 74 that projects into a slot in the bottom of the box, so as totake paste and transmit it to the paper P; the friction rollers 71 holdthe paper in position to receive the paste and convey rotary motion tothe pasting disk 74; when the paper is folded between the rolls D D therolls squeeze the pasted papers together and fold them in the middle at0"; this compressionsticks the parts together. As the paper the foldededge and this is accomplished by means of rotary cutters Y Y; one ofwhich is upon the axis of the fixed roll L and the other upon the axisof the abutting roller L. In order to hold these knives in contact andto revolve them both I provide gear wheels 75, 76, mounted on the axisof the rolls L L; the knives are held in contact by means of the coilspring 77; the shaft or axis of the folding roll L being allowed to movefreely laterally; these knives cut off one folded edge of the paper. 90represents a series of stops fixed to the supporting rod 91, see Fig. 1;they are made adjustable to the line of the paper and width of margin.The rollers L L are likewise laterally adjustable on their shafts, asshown in Fig. 18. As thecenter line of the paperupon each of the set ofrolls must always be vertically under the tapper it is necessary toadjust the cutters to diiferent sizes of papers folded; this is done byloosening the set screws of the rolls L L and moving them longitudinallyon their shafts.

There are several advantages derived from the use of the above describedfolding machine: first, a feeding table is supported over the folder andmay be used as an ordinary table as the papers are carried round by thefeeding pulleys directly under the table where the first foldingoperation is performed. I have shown pulleys 6 and 7 to perform theinitial feeding to the first set of folding mechanism; cylinders ordrums could be used in place of these pulleys, and are the equivalentthereof; so, also, a series of pulleys might be used to form the foldingit but little space was employed, but I prefer the cylindrical form offolding rolls.

The folder is made very compact by having the several folding rollsplaced vertically one above the other, the second set at right angleswith the first, and the third at right angles with the second, &c. Byhaving one of the folding rolls loosely journaled and held by its weightin frictional contact with the other a veryimportant advantage isderived; this loose roll is journaled upon frictional rollers 81, seeFig.8, and upon one side of said rolls, so that the weight of the looserolls, say D, holds it against the roll D andv properly drives the tapebelts, which are grasped between these rolls without undulystretchingthe tapes, which merely carry the paper forward to be folded. The tapebelts when driven this way will perform their work without being drawnso taut as where they are driven by the friction of a single roller;they will wear much longer and do not have to be tightened so often andall the tapes are driven at the same speed, because of the grasp of thefolding rolls, and hence, the papers are carried squarely across on thetape belts, always delivered at the proper angle to the succeedingfolding roll. This result cannot be accomplished when the journals ofboth rolls are fixed. is folded it may be desirable to cut or trim offGreat difficulty has been experienced hitherto in the use of initialtapper finger or starter for large papers, because suspended upon a longarm they rebound or tremble; as ,shown in Fig. 4, I obviate thisdifficulty by bracing the arm 16 upon the outside of the machine andtaking the motion from cam 22 and the pendent arm secured nearly to theforward end of the arm 16.

Another advantage is obtained in my fold- Iing machine by having theguard friction rolls 25 on the tapper which arrest the downward movementand prevent all danger of its being caught by the folding rolls and notnec assitating so quick a lifting motion, hence, by

this means avoiding the tendency to rebound or jerking motions.

I am enabled to place my cutters directly I upon the end of one set ofthe folding rolls,

either the second or fourth, preferred; this is accomplished by havingone of the rolls moving laterally on its axis and held in position by aretractile spring, which is of sufficient force to perform the cuttingand yet allow a yielding to undue strains. I am also enabled to employthe folding rolls to assist in pasting, and thus in this compactmachine, paste, fold, out and deliver, the papers in an appropriate rackwithout undue complication; the character of the mechanism and its adjustment being such that it can be worked at great rapidity, which is avery important consideration in a folding machine.

The guard or stop 15 is shown adjustable upon thesupporting rods 93 theymay be, however, supported upon either of the rods F or F, and may beadjustable thereon if desired. The center of said stop or guard isbroken away over the rolls D D, the ends being connected together by anover-yoke in order to permit of the operation of the tapper. For theremaining set of folder rolls, the stops 90 are supported in asimilarmanner and are individual instead of being joined together, as is thecase with the guard or stop 15.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a folding machine,the combination with a driving shaft 1, carrying a series of feedpulleys, of a shaft 8, supported in elongated recesses in the machineframe and carrying a series of feed pulleys in frictional contact withthe feed pulleys on the driving shaft, friction rolls carried by themachine frame and bearing against the shaft 8, and tape belts passingaround said feed pulleys and driven by the frictional contact thereof,substantially as described.

2. In a folding roll the combination with feed rolls, of two foldingrolls, one of said rolls supported in journals and positively driven bysuitable mechanism,the other of said rolls yieldingly supported inslotted hearings in the machine frame, friction rolls carried by themachine frame and bearing against said yieldingly supported foldingroll, and tape belts passing around the yieldingly supported roll anddriven by the frictional contact of said rolls, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with the folding rolls R R, the friction roll 53 formoving the paper laterally over the roll R and mounted upon anadjust-able arm 52, whereby the said roll 53 is brought in or thrown outof operation to make three or four folds of the paper as oocasionrequires, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with the rack, 55, 56, resting on the shaft 57 of arock shaft 80, ratchet 58, pawl 64 bifurcated arm 60, shaft 34, a camcarried thereby, and projections on the bifurcated arm 60 for engagingsaid cam, substantially as described.

5. The combination With the arm 55, means for intermittently moving thesame and a rack board 56, mounted on said arm, of a rock-shaft 80, afollower finger 65 mounted on said shaft, and mechanismforintermittently moving the follower finger backward to receive a paperand then forward to deposit it in the rack, substantially as described.

6. The mechanism for automatically moving the rack arm 55, consistingsubstantially of the cam 59, the fork arm 60, the lugs 62 and 63, therock shaft 80, ratchet 58, the pawl 64, driven by the disk inappropriate time movements, substantially as specified.

7. The pasting mechanism supported upon the yoke arm 7 8, one fork ofwhich is in contact with the cam 20, having a portion of its faceirregular for giving an undulatory motion to the supporting arm 78,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUSTIN T. BASOOM.

Witnesses:

G. E. ALLINGER, S. J. HATFIELD.

